The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed 29 facilities across Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun states over environmental pollution and violations of national regulations, following laboratory reports that revealed lead contamination linked to illnesses and deaths in affected communities.
NESREA’s Director-General, Prof. Innocent Barikor, announced the enforcement action in Abuja, explaining that the closures were necessary to safeguard public health and halt the operations of recycling facilities that endanger residents.
He said the facilities violated the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations, 2024, by improperly disposing of hazardous slag from battery recycling processes, which poses serious public health risks.
“There have been several stakeholder interventions involving federal and state environment ministries, NESREA, state environmental agencies, NGOs, and development partners to get the facilities to upgrade to environmentally friendly technology. But a recent tour revealed total disregard for environmental laws, showing that some of these facilities had no intention of complying,” Barikor said.
He added that many of the facilities lacked essential environmental documents such as Environmental Audit Reports (EAR), Environmental Impact Statements, and permits.
Other violations included absence of fume treatment plants, indiscriminate discharge of black oil, failure to conduct blood-lead tests for staff, poor slag management, manual battery breaking, and non-compliance with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme.
Among the facilities shut down in Ogijo, Ogun State were Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, African Non-Ferrous Limited, True Metals Nigeria Limited, BPL Nigeria Limited, Hanushi Manufacturing Limited, Pristine Elt. Pvt. Limited, Timto Alu Company Limited, and Ecomade Industries Limited.
The enforcement exercise also affected construction and quarry operations in Ota, Oshogbo, Ede, Ilesha Road, Papalanto, and Egbedore LGA, where several sites belonging to companies such as Laralek Ultimate Limited, Visible Construction Limited, Strabic Construction Limited, Areatech Construction Limited, Medaville Construction Limited, Adron Homes & Properties, Paris Park Garden, Bukingham Parks and Garden, S & M Nigeria Ltd, Step Development Ltd, Hitech Construction Limited, Craneburg Construction Company Limited, and SLAVABOGU Nigeria Limited were sealed for lack of mandatory environmental documents.
In the domestic and industrial plastics sector, Polo Good International Company Ltd, Meibalun International Limited, Jomoo International Industrial Limited, Zhong Ju Nigeria Limited, and Vanke Machinery Limited were also shut for operating without environmental documents and failing to adopt fume abatement technology or submit compliance reports.
In Osogbo, GS Agriculture Limited was sealed for violating the National Environmental (Food, Beverages and Tobacco Sector) Regulations, 2009.
Similarly, West Stone and Marble Processing Company Limited in Ikirun and Icheetah Nigeria Limited in Abeokuta were sealed for failing to submit Environmental Audit Reports and for non-compliance with relevant regulations.
Enforcement also extended to Solomon Kensington Agro Allied in Iperu-Remo, which was shut for failing to provide environmental documents, install an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), or furnish NESREA with a comprehensive list of animal species in its care.
Prof. Barikor stressed that the agency would no longer plead with operators to obey the law, warning that defaulters would face the full consequences of their actions.
“Our duty to Nigerians is a solemn responsibility. When facilities refuse to comply, they will face the full weight of the law,” he said.
NESREA reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives, public health, and the environment through strict enforcement of regulations.
